The 44-year-old quarterback, who announced on February 1 that he was retiring from the NFL, now announces that he will play one more season with the Buccaneers.
Tom Brady returns. This is how the player communicated it on his Twitter account.
“These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands. That time will come. But it’s not now. I love my teammates, and I love my supportive family. They make it all possible. I’m coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa. Unfinished business LFG”
The Retirement Decision
When Brady announced his withdrawal, he pointed out that the family factor had been key in this decision. He mentioned the need to be a good father, a good husband, and to spend more time with his family.
And it is that at 44 years old, Brady had harvested one of the best seasons in terms of individual figures of his entire career. Therefore, in the physical aspect, the player continues to be at a high level.
Tampa Or Nothing
Brady didn’t have many options if he decided to turn his retirement around and play again.
Head coach Bruce Arians and general manager Jason Licht of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have both mentioned leaving the door open for a possible return of quarterback Tom Brady, who remained under contract despite Brady’s retirement.
“That door is never closed. Whenever Tom wants to come back, he will come back. If Tom wants to come back, we’ll have plenty of money for him,” Arians told reporters at the NFL scouting combine, adding that the two keep in touch, same as Brady with Licht.
“I think with a Tom Brady, I personally never want to completely close that door,” Licht said. “Now, I have no information to suggest that he’s coming back.
I’m very good friends with him. We talked, but we haven’t talked about it. I don’t want to put pressure on that right now. But, it’s Tom Brady. If a Tom Brady wants come back, we’re going to take it back.”
“When I signed Tom two years ago, none of us knew how long he would be for,” Licht shared. “If it was a year, two years.
I was hoping it would be until I was 50. But, no one really knew. So, not totally a surprise when he’s the type to evaluate everything.
He keeps evaluating everything. He literally said goodbye at the top.” if, in fact, he stays retired. We always took advantage of it and never took it for granted.”
But Tampa Bay not only left the door open for Brady, they also left him out of options. As owners of their rights, the player cannot sign with another NFL team.
A New Season For More Records
Brady will play his 23rd season in the NFL, in which he will be 45 years old. The player has shown for a long time that one of his passions is to beat any record possible. He is already the player with the most rings in history, with the most passing yards, with the most touchdown passes and a long list of unattainable records.
It is likely that this season we will see him reach new records and continue to leave his name even more marked in the history of football.
Tampa Bay Original Plan
According to Arians, the original plan to overcome Brady’s retirement was to have four quarterbacks. Kyle Trask, a second-round pick from last year, would have a chance to compete for the starting job despite not seeing regular-season action last year, Arians said earlier this week.
“Kyle is going to have a great, great opportunity. I mean, he’s earned it,” Arians said. “I’m really, really impressed with how he improved on the things that he needed when he was running the practice squad, his presence in the pocket, movement in the pocket – all those things that Tom taught him, lean a little bit more, be a little bit faster–, and he can throw.”
But Brady’s return will leave Kyle without that long-awaited opportunity. It remains to be seen what moves the Buccaners make in the coming weeks with free agency.